Five NegOr state university graduates pass civil, electrical engineer board exam
by Rachelle M. Nessia
by Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, May 25 (PIA) --- Five graduates from Negros Oriental State University(NORSU) in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental have passed the board examinations for civil and electrical engineering this May.
Two out of three NORSU graduates passed the Civil Engineer Licensure Examination, giving the state university a 66.7% passing percentage compared to the national passing rate of 38.34% (1,195 out of 3,117), according to NORSU Information Officer Joy Perez.
The new civil engineers are Maria Angelina Sumanoy Cubalan of Valencia town and Nelvie Magsipoc Lizada of Bayawan City, said Perez.
On the other hand, three out of five who took the Electrical Engineer Licensure Examination held in April passed it, giving NORSU a 60% passing rate compared to the national passing mark of P40.43% (665 out of 1,616).
The new electrical engineers are Hernando Nemaria Gabutero of Tanjay City, Wilfredo Adling Husayaw of Valencia, and Kem Silorio Sechico of Dumaguete City.
Meanwhile, NORSU President Dr. Henry Sojor in a recent general faculty meeting announced a new Dean for the College of Engineering and Architecture starting this school year 2011-12.
Perez said the new dean is Engr. Josef Vill S. Villanueva who is taking over the post left by Engr. Roberto Antonio. (RMN/PIA Negros O
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Dumaguete chosen for the MCC-Funded Anti-Poverty Program
by: Jennifer Catan-Tilos
DUMAGUETE CITY, May 24 (PIA) Dumaguete is selected as one of the additional beneficiaries of the anti-poverty program funded by the United States Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).
More than 300 local government units (LGUs) from 26 provinces across the country are expected to participate in selection events for a chance to be new beneficiaries in the scaled-up implementation of a Philippine Government anti-poverty program funded by the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), US Embassy Information Officer Yolanda De Guzman said.
The additional LGU-beneficiaries are scheduled to meet over the next six weeks for the selection-conference.
De Guzman said 103 municipalities will be chosen to join an additional 82 municipalities already selected to receive MCC grant funding for thousands of community-level infrastructure and social services projects that will benefit millions ofFilipinos.
MCC and the Philippine Government entered into a $434-million poverty reduction compact in September 2010.
De Guzman explained the grant agreement includes $120 million to fund the expansion of the Philippine government’s Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS or KC) program, a community-driven development program aimed at empowering communities to identify and implement development projects to reduce poverty and improve livelihoods.
A total of 314 municipalities with high incidence of poverty had been identified as eligible to compete for being added to the current number of municipalities assisted by the KALAHI-CIDSS program.
The 103 new beneficiary municipalities, to be determined by drawing of lots, will receive grants from MCC to implement their anti-poverty projects.
From May 23 to June June 30, Washington-based HGM Management Technologies and its Philippine counterpart, the Associated Resource and Management Development Inc., will assist the Department of the Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in conducting information campaigns among eligible provinces and municipalities and supervising the drawing of lots to identify the new beneficiaries.
Eligible municipalities have been grouped in clusters that will attend one-day conferences in these provincial capitals: Kalibo, guimaras, Dumaguete, Tacloban, Calapn, Naga, Masbate, Puerto Princesa, Bangued, Pagadlan, surigao, and Davao.
Along with congressmen, governors, DSWD officials, and representatives of MCC, MCA-Philippines, and the World Bank, an auditor will witness the drawing of lots to ensure transparency and fairness. (PIA NegOr/JCT)
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State university to ink agreement with Army for scholarship grant
by Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, May 24 (PIA) --- The Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) is set to ink an agreement with the Philippine Army's 11th Infantry Battalion (11IB) to extend scholarship grants to four deserving students at NORSU Guihulngan Campus.
The signing of the memorandum of agreement for the educational assistance will be done tomorrow (May 25), 9:00 AM, at NORSU Campus in Guihulngan City, said 1Lt. Angelito Luna, 11IB Battalion Civil-Military Operations Officer, in a text message.
Under said agreement, the 11IB, through its Lapu-Lapu Educational Assistance Program (LEAP), will sponsor four full-time scholars in any four-year course at NORSU Guihulngan Campus.
The 11IB will likewise shoulder their miscellaneous fees and provide the scholars with a monthly living allowance of P2,500.
Board Member Jessica Villanueva and the Serge Remonde Scholarship Foundation, upon the invitation of the 11IB, will also each sponsor one full scholar at the said university with the same educational privileges enjoyed by LEAP scholars.
The battalion stationed in Brgy. McKinley, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental has initiated LEAP as part of its social responsibility to help uplift the condition of the nearby communities. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)
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NegOr to initiate cleaning up in celeb Environment Month
by: Jennifer Catan-Tilos
DUMAGUETE CITY, May 24 (PIA) Negros Oriental starts this year’s Environment Month celebration with a walk, clean and bike for the environment on June 1.
The Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) of the provincial government in coordination with Metro Dumaguete Road Runners Club and group of biker sets to identify areas in Metro Dumaguete need to be cleaned up.
The bikers, runners and those who would like to walk are assigned to a place where they can pick up or gather some trash especially plastics along the roads to promote environmental consciousness among the public, Division Chief Mercy Teves of ENRD said.
Also, during the opening of classes on June 6, public schools are expected to initiate school-base activities such as “Oplan Linis” to take part in cleaning up school premises.
Other initial interventions, the Department of Education (DepEd) encourages the schools to plant some fruit seeds ready for planting for the next season. The school-based seed banking also promotes awareness among children the value of keeping the seeds from the fruits they eat.
Together with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), ENRD also has lined-up activities on environment on the spot poster and essay writing contestamong public elementary and high schools; coastal and riverways clean-up with colleges and universities in the city to be assigned in the area.
Teves said local police officers from the different city and municipal police stations will soon undergo extensive training and orientation on environmental laws.
The training-orientation will help strengthen the implementation of our peacekeeping efforts and enforcement responsibilities by providing concrete police assistance on the protection of the province's environmental and natural resources, said Teves.
The police would not only cater in ordinary crimes but also run after enemies of the environment to strengthen the enforcement Republic Act 9141 known as Conservation and Protection of Wildlife Resources. (PIA NegOr/JCT)
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Negor Gov pours in funds for agri development
by Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, May 24 (PIA) --- With the development of the local agriculture sector in mind,Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo has poured in more than P40 million to rehabilitate farm to market roads in the province.
During the recent Corn Agri-Pinoy Planning Workshop held in Dumaguete City, the governor announced that he has released P20 million for the cementing of a portion of the Fatima-Kalikanan-Amio route along the Pamplona-Sta. Catalina road.
Another P5 million was disbursed for the Sto. Nino-Narra route of the Tanjay City-Bayawan City road, P10 million for the hinterland portion of the Ayungon-Tayasan-Jimalalud-La Libertad road and P5M for the Luz-Linantuyan road in Guihulngan City.
Degamo has also allocated more funds for other measures aimed at boosting the farming community in the province.
One of this is the P20-million fund set aside for the procurement of seed innoculant, according to Capitol Information Officer Adrian Sedillo.
A total of P1 million is now earmarked for the construction of additional Barangay Agricultural Development Centers provincewide while another P1 million is set aside as counterpart fund for the purchase of certified seeds, said Sedillo.
Degamo also allocated P1 million for the production of native animals and the establishment of a Bagsakan Center for organic products. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)
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BOT port project to resume in Sibulan
by Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, May 24 (PIA) --- After around five years of inactivity, the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) port project in Sibulan town will now be revived.
This after Dante Uymatiao, owner of Maayo Shipping Lines, negotiated with the local government of Sibulan and Antonio Oanu, the first proponent of the BOT project, for the continuation of the port construction.
"Uymatiao has already procured a permit to operate from the Philippine Ports Authority," said Sibulan Information Officer Connie Zamora-Rosales in an interview.
Rosales said the project has an approved 25-year miscellaneous lease agreement from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Sometime in 2005, Oanu applied and was granted the BOT port project but was unable to complete its construction in the following year.
Sibulan Mayor Marcela Bartoces welcomed the project's resumption, saying that it will draw moreeconomic activities into Sibulan town and open more employment opportunities.
Bartoces has ordered the clearing of the area near the port so the construction can kick off immediately.
Sibulan is a 4th class municipality bordered to the south by Dumaguete, the capital city of Negros Oriental, and is the location of the province's main airport.
The BOT, under RA No. 7718, is a contractual arrangement wherein private sectors undertake the construction, including financing of an infrastructure facility and its operation and maintenance, after which the facility is turned over to the local government unit or agency concerned at the end of a fixed term.
The Aquino administration has been promoting public-private partnership (PPP) projects to stimulate economic growth nationwide. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)